Hair accessories of many types have been developed to help women maintain a variety of hairstyles. Some hair accessories, like bobby pins, are almost purely functional. Other such accessories, including ornate combs and barrettes, can be as decorative as they are functional.
Still other hair accessories are designed accomplish a single task in operation. Elastic bands enclosed in fabric, so-called "scrunchies," are one simple device often used for holding hair in a ponytail-type arrangement. Another relatively-simple hair accessory is known simply as a "hair clip." Hair clips typically involve spring biased elements that cooperatively hold hair in a desired position. This type of device is disclosed in U.S. Pat. Nos. 5,873,377 and 5,862,815.
Some hair accessories have been designed not only to hold hair, but to perform secondary functions, as well. For example, U.S. Pat. No. 5,533,533 discloses a foldable hair clip that includes a comb to allow hairstyle retouching during use. U.S. Des. Pat. No. 378,817 discloses a hair clip adapted to hold a scarf in a decorative manner.
While each of the known hair accessories may address a particular set of needs, there is still room for improvement. For example, many individuals who wear hair accessories are active women who wish to keep their hair tidy while engaged in various activities. A hair accessory that would not only keep hair in place, but that would also provide a way of carrying cosmetics or other relatively-small items would prove beneficial. Such a device would be especially useful for women engaged in sports, workouts, attending social, sporting events, or other times when carrying a purse might prove cumbersome such as a trip to the beach. The known hair accessories do not address this need, nor do they provide this type of enhanced functionality. This type of device would represent a step forward in this field and would allow an individual to carry a variety of items, while largely eliminating the need to carry such items in a purse.
Thus, what is needed is a hair accessory that includes advantages of the known devices, while addressing the shortcomings they exhibit. The hair accessory should keep hair tidy while providing a way of carrying cosmetics or other relatively-small items. The device may also include an alarm mechanism to provide notification of unwanted attempts to remove the device. The device should be modular in design to accommodate several interchangeable components as desired. The accessory should also provide enhanced storage capacity in a manner that is attractive and in a format that is easy to use.